Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-09-04

amusement of any girl. Mabel, you
must choose between me and Felix
Fernauld."
"Must! |" repeated the girl.
eyes, must"
Every WE'LL" said Mabel, with de-
fiant toss Of the head, "then | take
Felix Fernauld."
care you in earnest, Mabel"
"Quite, why shouldn't be?"
And Job Tressaly took mp his stone
pitcher OF cool, sparkling water, and
walked off across the meadow to the
field where the hay-makers were at
work, with his heart as heavy as lead
within him.
And Mabel sat down and began to
cry. Why, she could not exactly have
told. She was half terrified, half ex-
ultant, but wholly frightened and
nervous at her own boldness.
"Mabel! %
She started up with a cry. Felix
Fernauld's dark, handsome face was
bending over her.
"Little one, don't be frightened"
said he, with an air of patronizing
affection. 81 Just met that calf, Tres
sally, stalking across the fields, with Il
face like Il thunder-cloud."
EYES," said Mabel, II sent him
away"
"You're trump" said Fernauld.
ga brick, my dear! Give us a kiss.
And now to business. Old Jessup's
gone to town, eh? ?"
eyes, said Mabel, much wondering
why he should ask the question.
When will he be back?''
cat five O'Clock he said"
"Taken that mortgage money with
him ?"
"Not to-day" said the innocent
Mabel. "He is going to the bank to-
morrow"
"Good," said Felix Fernauld, pull
ing at his black mustache. "Where
does he keep it, my pretty one? Con-
fidentially, now, between you and
me? ?"
Mabel started up, sudden scarlet
dyeing her cheeks. All at once the
giamor vanished from before her eyes
all at once she saw Felix Fernauld
in his true colors-a villain, an adven-
turer. thief
"Why do you want to know" she
flashed out.
"Now, don't excite yourself, my
dear, don't said Fernauld. tapping her
cheek. "It's all in the way of busi-
ness. Old Jessup is rich; Pm not.
Why shouldn't we divide? You'll
tell me where he keeps his money,
that's darling" :,
81 will not |" cried Mabel, flushed
and trembling all over.
every WE'LL" said Fernauld, taking
both her hands in an iron grip. I'm
that case we must tie and gag you,
and take thorough look through the
premises ourselves. Don't be alarmed !;
I shan't hurt you. I'll call him, and
it won't take minute"
"Stop!" said Mabel, who had grown
very pale. "You need not gag me.
If you are really determined to have
the money, can't help it. Pll tell
you where it is, only" trembling like
"a leaf, nd averting her eyes, "you
must give me half''
81 knew you were a trump" said
Fernauld, approvingly. Didn't say
SO? OF course we'll do the fair thing
no fear of that. Now, look alive.
There's no time to losel"
'He keeps it in the funniest place
you ever heard Of" said Mabel,
laughing hysterically.
"These old miners are as queer as
the deuce" said Fernauld, with the
air of an amateur. Nothing you can
tell about 'em surprises me. Down
cellar, perhaps? Or under board in
the garret or floor?"
NO" said Mabel. cts in the big
oven back of loose brick"
"Ah I" said Fernauld, opening his
eyes. "And what the mischief keeps
it from general conflagration every
time you bake blackberry pie?"
"We never use the big oven nova
days" said Mabel. "It hasn't been
heated for six years. We always bake
in the cook stove. l know he keeps it
there, because II watched one night,
and saw him take it out and count it.
Eleven one hundred dollar bills!"
"Sly little puss!" cried Fernauld,
patting her cheeks again with the
same air OF offensive patronage.
"You'll make the very wife for man
in my line of business! Now, thep-
show us where your old oven is.
Stokes !' in stage whisper out of the
window, "keep lookout up and down
the road until you hear from me-"
"All right" Stokes answered, in
the same tone-and Mabel opened the
huge iron door of the old fashioned
brick oven, sort of mausoleum of
the past, full of cobwebs and dust.
Fernauld started back with re-
sonant sneeze.
..SssIt's a regular Black Hole !" said
he. "The last place in the world a
fellow would think of crawling into"
81 suppose that is the reason he put
it there" said Mabel, trying to speak
indifferently.
elbow the mischief did he G It in ?"
"He crawled in on his hands and
knees-just as you'll have to do.
You'll see the loose brick at the
farther end, if you strike a match
when you are inside"
81 don't half like the looks of it,"
said Fernauld, obviously. However,
I've done more disagreeable things
than that in the way of business, so
here goes"
And with wonderful agility Mr..
ferHdulu pfeClPilalcu Hiulsoii Hoau
foremost into the yawning chasm.
Straight ahead" cried Mabel.
"Don't you see the lose brick ?"l
"See? 1 see nothing" roared Fer
nauld. "What have you shut that
door for? Open it quick Open it, l
say"
But Mabel Winston had no such
idea. She had swung back the big
iron door, latching it safely on the
outside, and furthermore securing it
by wedging old Miles Jessups' iron
crowbar, which stood in the corner,
across it, one end against the chimney
piece, the other braced in the oppo-
site angle of the wall. And then, fly
ing like lightning to the door, she
called out to the other man, who
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